From the Heart

Yesterday was a Day of Awful Proportions.

Not a Happy Homeschool Day, that's for sure.

We had one who was reacting to some scents he had been exposed to, and one who thought noon was just an idea, since he rarely sees it with his eyes open.

So.

After supper I spent a great deal of time convincing (convincing is "Susan-ese" for talking extremely loudly) the boys to clean their rooms.  They did, but they were not happy about it.

After that melee, I took my Kindle Fire and went to my own bedroom and had a nice, quiet time.  Until Rock Band exploded in the living room!  Wowzer!  All three kids, getting along, and playing nicely!  Nice and LOUD.

Since this was a rare occasion, I took a photo.

The music went on for several hours.  Luci found some sunglasses, a wig and a cool hat.

And it's going on again, tonight!  It is NOISY.

And NICE.

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Tonight I was figuring out JT's grades (he did well this year!) and putting them into our online reporting program.  Since the dates of JT's birthday and Bryan's birthday are so similar, I had JT come check to make sure I got it correct. 

This discussion brought Luci...who has studied right along with JT and his anatomy classes this year...

Mama, when is my birthday?

October 26!  The best day of the year!

I wasn't born in your tummy.  I was born in your heart.  And believe me, it is not pretty in there!

from Apologia Science text

Payin' for Your Raisin'

Isn't that what it's called when you have a child who is so much like you were growing up?  You know,  a snotty, sarcastic, know-it-all lovely, endearing, precocious child?

Well, I have one of those.  Maybe two.  More on one certain child in a moment.

Remember the hamster named Fluffy, who lives in a pink cage, and is a MALE?   He spent a few days this week not doing much at night (they're nocturnal, which made Luci very not-happy since he plays while she sleeps).  I thought, uh-oh, he's probably dying.  Who knows how old he was when we bought him?

Luci began making funeral plans for Fluffy yesterday.  Then we spent the day at the park with friends.  On the way home, I called Bryan and asked if Fluffy were still alive.  After poking the poor beast, Bryan said he was, indeed, among the living.  Luci and I made a detour to the pet store to get tubes to add to the hamster habitat --because you know they don't call it a cage anymore.  It's not politically correct or something.  As if the animal cares.  I had told Luci that we'd get add-ons for the cage habitat on payday.  Payday was three weeks ago, so since the critter was still moving, we got playthings.

Turns out he was just bored with his cage habitat.  Maybe he was rebelling because he was in a PINK cage habitat.  Whatever the cause, he is happy now, and acting healthy again. 

Okay, you stayed with me for the hamster tale so you get rewarded with finding out which kid is like me, the I-wanna-wring-his-neck-sometimes kid.  It's JT.  God bless my parents for letting me live out my teen years. Now I know why they sent me all the way from Idaho to Arkansas for college.  Because their hands could not reach my neck from that distance.

JT knows everything.  I mean, EVERYTHING.  He's read through the Alabama Department of Public Safety's driving manual once, only because we forced him to before getting his learner's permit.  So now he knows all about driving safely, even though he's only gone as fast as ten miles an hour in the local school parking lot.  He corrects me all the time!  Me, Safety Susie!  I mean, I am a good driver and he's correcting me?  (See, we're both know-it-alls.  John is nodding his head.  My parents are shouting, "Amen!")

But the clincher was yesterday, when both boys were trying to be in charge of adding on the hamster's playthings...pushing and shoving and insulting each other as only teen brothers can do (hey, wait, that's what Tom and Charlie were like, why am I getting to pay for their raising??).  Then Luci gets in on the insulting thing.

Don't miss it, now, here's the JT-is-just-like-his-momma part:  He corrected the grammar of one of Luci's insults!

I was rolling on the floor.

She said WHAT?

Yesterday, as I was driving Bryan to his ACT test (more on that in a minute), he and Luci were tattling on each other. 

Yes, Luci was along for the ride at 7:15.  Because John was pretending to be asleep when we left home, and so Luci had to come with me.

Anyhow, Bryan tells me that Luci is no fun to babysit.  He was on the list for babysitting because John and I planned to go out for lunch later that day for our anniversary (20 happy years!).

Luci pipes up with, "Mom!  I don't want Bryan to babysit!  I want JT!  Because Bryan makes me watch bad videos, like Star Wars Lego Version!"  Yes, she really starts her sentences with "Because."  Because she learned that from me, her mama.

Bryan fired back with, "You shouldn't tattle on me."

"Oh yeah?  That's how I operate.  That's how my mind works."

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Now, for the ACT test part.  I am Mrs. Calendar, Mrs. Plan-Ahead, I could have run all of the World War II campaigns (Africa, Europe and the Pacific theaters) all at once.  And done it well, too.

So, when it comes time to go on a trip, I pack.  I plan our trip.  I know well ahead of time where we are staying, what we are seeing, how much we can spend, and what to do if some child should have an accident. 

You can imagine my surprise when, about 5 minutes into our 25 minute trip home, Bryan calls me and says, "Uh, Mom, we are one week early.  I don't have to be here until next Saturday!"

NEXT Saturday.

Something tells me he's never going to let me forget this.

But you know the best part?  Some other kid's mom messed up, too.  That kid is the one who let Bryan borrow a cell phone (because you are not supposed to bring one to the test, I confiscated Bryan's) to call me.

Making the Sale

My conversation with Luci this morning.  She was so complimentary about her big brother. 

Then she got real.

Mom, Bryan would make a good daddy.

Yes, he would.

But first, he needs to go to college.  Then get a job.  Then get married because he's not living here!

.

Then I get to use his bedroom for my Barbie doll collection.

Heard Recently

Yes, that title gets used too often.

That's just the way it is.  So there.

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Toola-Hoops:  Flowers.  You might know them as "Tulips."

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Luci was begging her brothers to play with her.  They said, "No."  Begging Mommy.  Mommy said, "Just a minute."  Luci wailed,

I wish I had a little sister!  Then she would play with me!

Me:  Let's call Daddy and you can ask him for a little sister.  Because he's the one who has to decide that.

Luci shook her head no, knowing the answer.  She put her head in her hands:  I'm never getting a little sister!

Yes, I did play with Luci after that anguished cry.  How could I not?

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I was working on a crossword puzzle.  I knew the answer, but asked Bryan to help anyways.  

Me:  Six letters, "Fish Flock."

Bryan:  Government Institution.

Me, scratching my head at first, knowing that answer was way beyond six letters.  What was the boy thinking?   Ahh.  School.

This Week

On Tuesday, John's folks were visiting family Cullman (1 1/2 hours from us). I took Bryan and Luci down there, and we had a nice visit. Here are Uncle Joe, Aunt Patty, Olen, Jeannie and Aunt Violet (Joe's wife). Joe, Patty and Olen are siblings.

After lunch, we went to Joe and Violet's house. Uncle Joe took Bryan and Luci out on the Mule. Luci had a good time, which surprised me, since she won't even ride on a carousel. I love that haircut on Luci!

Also this week: Luci is trying her hand at doing make-overs on her dolls. Which includes haircuts, until I caught her. Somewhere in our house is a Cinderella Barbie doll with very short hair.

New Phrases

At the church picnic, the boys took turns watching Luci for me. At one point, I asked Bryan to take over. Apparently, he'd never heard the expression I used. Here was the conversation:

mom: Go spell J.T., Bryan.

Bryan: J.T.

mom: (rolling her eyes) Bryan, go spell J.T.

Bryan: (in an exagerated voice) J-dot T-dot.

mom: (finally understanding) Go watch your sister!


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How funny that this was today's Family Circus!

Siblings

Every day I tell each child, "I'm glad I'm your Mama!" And now the boys tell me they are glad to be my sons. What I didn't expect is Luci's comments when the boys tell her, "I'm glad I'm your brother!" She tells them,

I glad I you sister!